The Minnesota Twins’ late-season collapse has sparked intense fan scrutiny, with many calling for the dismissal of manager Rocco Baldelli. However, the team’s players have rallied around their leader, defending him against the criticism.
Pitcher Bailey Ober expressed his support for Baldelli, stating that it’s unfair to place all the blame on him. “Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but if the players hear the chants, I don’t think anyone’s agreeing with that,” Ober said. “It’s like, seriously, can’t you see what’s going on? He’s not the one at fault for this mishap that happened.”
Baldelli himself acknowledged hearing the boos and chants, but emphasized his respect for the fans and their right to express their opinions. “That’s part of managing a Major League Baseball team,” he said. “You can’t have greater passion than what I saw last year when we were in the playoffs.”
The Twins’ players cited various reasons for their disappointing season, including injuries to key players like Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Joe Ryan. Correa, who missed 53 games with a foot injury, took responsibility for his own absence, saying, “If you have anybody to blame, blame me for going down for two months and not being a part of the team.”
Ober echoed Correa’s sentiments, stating, “We’re the ones performing out there and didn’t get the job done. He’s putting out the lineups, and we’re trying to do it. I feel like most of the blame should be on the players.”
Despite the team’s struggles, Baldelli remains confident in his abilities and is committed to finding a solution. “Ultimately, we didn’t find it,” he said. “We did not find it. That’s probably the most frustrating part of it was that it’s not like we just ran this out and continued to try the same methods all the way down the stretch. We tried several methods, and that’s the part where, yeah, that will irk me.”
As the season comes to a close, Baldelli’s future with the Twins remains uncertain, but he expressed no concern over his job security. “I’m never stressed about that,” he said. “I’m fully motivated and enjoy what I do.”
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